Once Upon A Christmas Day
by Angel of Fire SG1
Summary: There were no Christmas stories this year so far, so here's one! A Christmas party is held at Jack's house...(S/J)


                                        **MERRY CHRISTMAS**

**AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was on FF.net today and there were no Stargate Christmas stories, so I decided that we needed one! So here's a short one! This stories dedicated to two of my friends, I think they'll know who they are! (K & N)**

**PAIRINGS: Sam/Jack**

**SEASON: Season Five**

**SPOILERS: Beneath the Surface, **

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these peoples, they belong to MGM!**

Colonel Jack O'Neill rounded the corner, whistling Jingle Bells, and almost ran into his second in command, Major Samantha Carter. She stopped and smiled.

"Sorry sir, didn't see you," she said.

"So Carter, you coming tonight?" he asked her.

"Tonight?" she looked surprised. "Oh right! Your house, Christmas party. Sure thing, what time do you want me to be there?"

Jack thought for a minute, did he want to tell her to come early so they had some time alone or should he just leave it. _Oh for crying out loud it's Christmas tomorrow, Jack! Just invite her early!_

"You wanna come at four, help me set up?" he asked.

"Sounds good," Sam smiled.

"See ya then," he said. 

"Bye, sir," Sam replied, continuing on her way.

Jack smiled to himself and continued down the hallway to the elevator. It was two in the afternoon but he wasn't going to hang around the SGC all day to be forced to work. Plus he wasn't going to let some alien invasion ruin a perfectly well-planned party. He pressed the button for the lift and stood patiently waiting for it.

"O'Neill," a familiar voice said from behind him.

"Yes, Teal'c!" Jack replied.

"Five o'clock at your place, correct?" Teal'c confirmed.

"Yeah sure ya betcha!" Jack replied. "You're coming with Daniel?"

"I believe Dr. Frasier has offered me a lift," Teal'c replied.

"Ah, even better," Jack replied. "Tell Siler it's five, not six…I forgot to tell him I changed the time."

Suddenly there was a crackle over the radio and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" started playing over the loud speaker. Jack grinned.

"That's it, we're in the Christmas spirit!" Jack grinned.

There was a 'bing' from the elevator and he turned to leave. He stood in the elevator and watched as the doors closed in front of Teal'c. He was happy, the SGC had never had a big Christmas party before, and now he was having one at his place. The _whole SGC wasn't coming, a number of them preferred to spend it with their families or other friends. _

"Sam!" a voice said from behind her.

Sam spun around to find Janet Frasier running to catch up with her. "Hi Janet."

"What time you going to Colonel O'Neill's?" Janet asked.

"Oh I'm going early, he wants me to help set up," Sam said.

Janet grinned. "I see."

"I know what you're thinking, but you're imagining things," Sam replied.

"I'm not thinking anything," Janet replied. 

"So why do you wanna know?" Sam asked.

"Oh, wanted to know if you could drive either Daniel or Teal'c, cos at the moment I'm supposed to take them both, but I can't fit all three of us, plus Cassie and my medical equipment in the car…but it doesn't matter. Daniel can drive himself," Janet said.

"I'm sure I could take him, the more help the better," Sam said.

"No, no, it's OK, you go have fun setting up," Janet said.

Then she turned around and walked away. Sam was left, rather confused, standing in the hallway.

Jack pulled open the door to find Sam standing there, dressed in a dress, but rugged up in a large coat because of the weather.

"Come in, you look cold," Jack said.

"Yes, sir, it is sort of cold out here," Sam smiled. "So when are the others getting here?"

"Around five, the members of SG-2 won't be here till later, they're still on a mission, got delayed on the other planet," Jack said.

There was an awkward silence and Sam stepped inside. Jack closed the door behind her. Sam looked around, she had never been to Jack's house alone with him, without anyone else there. She immediately thought about when they had had their memories wiped and were just two normal people living in an underground mine. She shook the thought from her mind and hung her big, chunky jacket up on the hook next to the door. She had another cardigan on underneath so she still had some form of warmth. 

"So, what needs setting up?" Sam asked.

Fifty minutes later the house had been transformed. There were decorations hanging from everywhere possible to hang decorations from, the snack food and drinks were all set out along the wall, all the furniture had been moved back. Sam sat down on one of the bar stools next to the bar.

"That was tiring," Jack said.

"Yes, sir, it was extremely tiring," Sam looked up and met his eyes.

There was silence for a moment. Jack opened his mouth to say something, but then seemed to think the better of it.

"Sir?" Sam asked.

"I was just thinking how…" he jumped as the phone rang.

For a moment he continued looking at her, then he broke the gaze and picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Jack?" a quiet, almost scared, voice came from the other side.

"Yes…who is this?" he asked.

"Sara, don't you even recognise your ex-wife's voice?" she sounded light-hearted, but he knew how difficult it was for her to make the call.

"Sara? Hi! Merry Christmas," he said, looking at Sam who looked away immediately.

"Merry Christmas to you too," she said. "You doing anything tonight?"

"Ah, work party," Jack said. "You?"

"Family thing," Sara replied.

"Aah, I see," Jack said.

"Well I just rang to say Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, I have to go now," Sara said.

"OK, bye," Jack said.

"Bye," Sara said.

Jack hung up the phone. "Well that was awkward."

Sam smiled. "So what were you going to say before?"

"Oh, I was just thinking how we need to play some music," Jack said, walking over to his CD collection.

The doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Sam said, jumping up from her stool and walking over to the door.

Jack bent over his CD collection heard a distant "Hi Daniel!" and then an exchange of conversation in the background, but he wasn't particularly listening. He hadn't talked to Sara for four and a half years, then she had to call at that exact moment. He didn't know what to feel. _Knock it off Jack, at least she rang! He told himself. _

"Merry Christmas, Jack!" Daniel said.

"Where's Frasier, Teal'c and Cassie?" Jack asked.

"Oh they're right behind, Janet had her car full of stuff, couldn't fit us all in," Daniel replied and just as he did Jack heard another car pull up behind him.

"So?" Janet asked.

"So what?" Sam asked.

"Did anything happen?" Janet asked.

"No…Janet you know we'd never…" Sam replied.

"I know, thought I might as well ask though," Janet said.

"Well there was…nevermind," Sam said.

Janet raised her eyebrows, but decided that she probably wouldn't get anything out of Sam anyway. 

The night ran smoothly, half the SGC was there and it was busy, even General Hammond decided to turn up with his family, including grandchildren. Finally only SG-1 and Janet and Cassie were left, sitting around in the very messy lounge room.

"Wanna help clean?" Jack asked.

"Oh we'll come over and do it tomorrow," Janet said. "It's too late now."

Jack glanced at the clock. It was already 11:45. "Oh it's almost Christmas."

"Really?" Daniel replied, sarcastically. "How'd you figure that one?"

"I don't know, Daniel, I really don't," Jack replied.

"Well the local park tends to have nice Christmas Carols, which don't start till ten and they go till one in the morning," Janet replied.

"How do you know?" Sam asked.

"I live across the road from them, trust me," Janet smiled. "Come on, let's go."

The six of them packed up their stuff and arranged to meet at the park. Janet, Teal'c and Daniel went first, leaving Sam, Jack and Cassie back at the house. Cassie grabbed the car keys off Jack and ran to the car so she could get in and start the heating. 

"Hang on, I can't find my drivers license," Sam said, "I had it before, it was in my wallet!"

She ran back to the lounge room to search for it. She found it on the kitchen bench and remembered that she'd been fiddling with her wallet, trying to find a card to show someone else.

"Got it!" she said, walking back to where Jack was waiting patiently at the door.

"Good," Jack said. "Now come on…Cassie's going to freeze to death in the car, actually we all are."

Sam waited while Jack locked the front door. He started heading down the stairs, but Sam stayed still.

"Sir…Jack…" she said.

He spun around to look at her. "Yes?"

"What were you _really going to say before?" Sam asked._

"That we should have music!" Jack lied.

"Sir…" Sam said.

He walked back up the stairs to where she was standing. "I was going to say I was thinking how beautiful you look tonight."

Sam felt as if her heart had leapt into her throat. Had he really just said that? She couldn't believe it, he had never said anything like that to her before. She opened her mouth to say thanks but Jack got there first.

"I'm not finished yet," he said. "Sam, the reason I invited you over early tonight is because it's Christmas and Christmas is a time for miracles. And I was hoping that on this one day of the year we could forget the regs and just be Sam and Jack."

"Like we were just Jonah and Thera…" Sam replied.

Jack leaned over and kissed her.

"It's about time!" Cassie said from the front gate. 

Jack pulled back, just realising what he had done. Sam smiled back at him.

"Thank you," Sam said.

"I love you," Jack said.

"I know…I love you too," Sam said. "But after today it doesn't mean that we can…"

"I know, let's keep it in the room," Jack grinned slightly. "Now, Cassie! If you ever breath a word of this to anyone, I will get one of those Goa'uld hand devices."

"Sir…" Sam warned.

"I'll do something," Jack finished. "Don't ask what though."


End file.
